What it Means when Baristas Compete By Tracy Ging “What’s the deal with barista competitions?” That, it seems, is a common question from some members of the coffee industry. Many people know what the competitions are, they understand how they work, but all-in-all, they find that the whole production resembles a Christopher Guest movie—while they …
By Nicholas Cho I’m doing it over together with Trish. And by “it,” I mean “it” in terms of the coffee business. After building up two coffeebars, coaching four USBC Regional Champions, and establishing a great reputation for our coffee program, I’m starting from scratch now, and I can’t tell you how excited I am …
By Trish Rothgeb Recently, I was asked to sit on a panel with a handful of other industry people to discuss, “How we got here.” Which apparently meant, as one of my colleagues so insightfully and somewhat facetiously observed, “We must have arrived!” My response was: “Really? Hey, that’s great!” The reality was more like …
The Regional Strategy of Alterra Coffee Written by Tracy Ging / Interview with Lincoln Fowler The age of Facebook seems to teach the value of scale and global connectedness. Concepts of local seem a bit quaint…and business strategies predicated on local connectedness simply seem out of touch. Or are they? When Facebook connects people in …
Taking Calculated Risks for Better Business By Shanna Germain In the coffee industry—and in other industries as well—we hear about the successful risk-takers and innovators all the time. They’re the ones that make the news, the ones that get interviewed in the New York Times and in the best food magazines, and the ones that …
By Tracy Ging Competition within the coffee industry is intensifying. At least that is what some roasters and retailers (21 percent) are reporting, according to the most recent SCAA sector report. Interestingly enough, this is the first time that comment has popped up. While it seems likely that the pressure has been building for a …
By Peter Giuliano I’m not alone in this. There is a whole generation of people who live to eat, and who are immersing themselves in food culture every day. For these people, good food provides a thread that runs through their entire lives. A meal in a restaurant or a trip to the farmers’ market …
By Lily Kubota In issue No. 6 (2009) of The Specialty Coffee Chronicle, Mark Inman of Taylor Maid Farms outlined the discussion of single-serve brewing methods that have been sweeping the world in the café setting, a topic that was recently explored in more depth at SCAA’s 2nd Annual Symposium in the session Single Serve …
If you’ve ever met Mike Ebert, sales representative for Alterra Coffee, then you know why he’s the man to talk to when it comes to meeting and greeting customers. Whether he’s working the farmers’ markets, giving consumers a bit of talk-education, or creating long-term partnerships, Ebert understands the importance of making connections on a person-to-person …
At Your Counter • Don’t just rely on your baristas to educate consumers. Roasters, counter staff, managers and everyone else can play a role. Make sure they know their stuff—or they know who to ask for additional information—and that they understand that they are welcome to interact with customers in a teaching environment. • Have …